What About HIV?

1. What is HIV/AIDS?


Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.) This virus attacks the body's immune system and makes it difficult to fight off diseases, bacteria, virus and infections. HIV is a lot like other viruses, including those that cause the "flu" or the common cold. But there is an important difference – over time, your immune system can clear most viruses out of your body. That isn't the case with HIV – the human immune system can't seem to get rid of it. That means that once you have HIV, you have it for life. We know that HIV can hide for long periods of time in the cells of your body and that it attacks a key part of your immune system, your T-cells or CD4 cells. Your body has to have these cells to fight infections and disease, but HIV invades them, uses them to make more copies of itself, and then destroys them.


2. How does HIV attack the white blood cells?

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects the cells of the immune system. In particular, HIV attacks and destroys the T helper lymphocytes, or T-cells, which are crucial to the immune system and immune response. (These cells are also called CD4-positive lymphocytes because HIV uses the protein CD4, present on the surface of the cell, to attach itself and pry its way into the cell.) Each day, your body produces millions of CD4+ T-cells to help maintain your immunity and fight off invading viruses and germs. Once HIV is in your body, the virus is able to copy itself over and over, increasing its ability to kill CD4+ T-cells. Soon, infected cells outnumber healthy T-cells.
The lower a person’s CD4+ T-cell count goes, the more susceptible the person is to viruses and infections that an otherwise healthy body could fight. In the initial stages of the infection, the decline in T-cell count is gradual. The first few months and years after a person is infected, T-cell counts may remain very near normal or only slightly decreased. It’s when T-cell numbers begin to dip dramatically that patients with HIV begin noticing additional, worsening symptoms of the infection.


3. How do I know I have it?

Many people who have HIV don't even know it because they don't show any symptoms for years. Even though you don't show any symptoms, you can still pass on the virus to someone else. However, once the symptoms start to show, this disease is now known as AIDS.


4. How do I get it?

You can get HIV through high-risk activities where you come into contact with infected blood, semen and vaginal fluids. HIV is spread by having unprotected sex such as vaginal, anal or oral with someone who has HIV. HIV can also be spread by sharing needles, syringes and other drug injecting equipment that is contaminated with HIV. Moreover, using tattooing and body piercing equipment, including the ink, that isn't sterilised or properly cleaned and is infected with HIV. Unfortunately, HIV can even be transmitted from a woman with HIV to her baby, before or during birth and by breastfeeding.
However, not everything can cause the transmission of HIV. For example, touching, shaking hands, hugging, coughing, sneezing, giving blood or sharing food utensils and bed linen would not transmit HIV.


5. Symptoms of AIDS for males and females: 

While both men and women experience many of the same symptoms, women frequently must contend with some distinctively female signs of HIV infection such as:

• Persistent or severe vaginal infections particularly vaginal yeast infections.
• Pap smears that indicate cervical dysplasia or other abnormal changes.
• Pelvic infections such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID.)

Although women with HIV frequently experience these women’s health conditions, women without HIV also experience vaginal infections, abnormal Pap smears, and pelvic infections.

Other signs and symptoms that may indicate HIV infection include:

• Genital warts
• Genital ulcers
• Severe mucosal herpes infections

Frequently, within a few weeks of infection, both men and women experience flu-like symptoms. Others do not experience signs or symptoms of HIV or AIDS until several years later. This makes HIV testing imperative for those with current or previous high risk behaviors. Other symptoms often experienced as HIV/AIDS progresses include:

• Swollen lymph glands in the neck, underarm area, or groin
• Frequent fevers that include night sweats
• Rapid weight loss without dieting
• Constant fatigue
• Decreased appetite and diarrhea
• White spots or abnormal blemishes in the mouth

6. How to protect yourself from getting HIV/AIDS

 To reduce your chances of getting HIV, you should use lubricated condoms for vaginal sex and use non-lubricated condoms for oral sex on a man. Also, you could use a latex barrier or a non-lubricated condom cut length-wise for oral sex on a woman. By using condoms with extra lubricant for anal sex and limiting the number of sex partners, you could also reduce your chances of getting HIV. You could also avoid sharing needles, syringes, drug injecting equipment or sex toys. Abstinence is also a way to prevent HIV transmission. Abstinence is a total withdrawal from any sexual intercourse.

7. How do I get tested for HIV?

 A simple blood test that checks for HIV-antibody is all that is required to determine whether you are infected. This test detects the presence of antibodies produced by the body in an attempt to fight HIV. If you believe HIV exposure has occurred, or you just want to be cautious, talk to your healthcare provider about HIV testing. While the average length of time from exposure to the presence of detectable HIV antibodies is 20 days it can take as long as 6-12 months in some cases before antibodies are present. Your healthcare provider may recommend testing at one month, three months, six months, and one year after exposure.

Biblography: 

 http://womenshealth.about.com/od/aidshiv/a/hivaids_2.htm

      http://www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids/how-hiv-affects-the-body